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Has anyone else heard abou this?

<i>By GEORGE PASCOE-WATSON
Deputy Political EditorDEFENCE Secretary Geoff Hoon is poised to scrap the Eurofighter warplane — because it’s useless.

Military experts reckon the jet — jointly built by Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy — cannot be used either as a fighter or a bomber.

Now Mr Hoon is on the brink of axeing orders for 177 Eurofighters to ensure taxpayers are not left with a white elephant costing £30billion.

The move risks infuriating our three EU partners.

But Mr Hoon believes RAF pilots will be placed in grave danger if we do not back out.

The planes, called Typhoons, will not carry air-to-air missiles or precision-guided air-to-ground weapons.



Hoon ... on brink of axing orders
Picture: REUTERS


One source said: “The British taxpayer should not end up with a machine that looks pretty at air displays but can’t go into action. Geoff won’t sign up to future phases unless it is fit for going to war. And under current plans, it’s just not up to the job.”

Ministers have already written off £7billion on the first batch of 55 Typhoons.

Pulling out of future orders would cost around £2billion because of penalties in the contract.

Italy, Germany and Spain are all dragging their heels over funding.

Germany has refused to fork out the extra needed to equip the jet with up-to-date weaponry.

The RAF have only taken delivery of four aircraft.

They were four years late and will not be ready for action for another two years.

The project has been plagued by delays and cash overruns since its design 20 years ago.

Experts blame EU-loving ex-Defence Secretary Michael Heseltine for lumbering us with the project. </i>

"Now Mr Hoon is on the brink of axeing orders for 177 Eurofighters to ensure taxpayers are not left with a white elephant costing £30billion. "

Yes, better to have no elephant that cost you 9 billion instead...???

<img src="http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/sigs/snipersig.jpg " border=0>

Can I get a link for that? I want to see the original article.

Brits are better off with the JSF. Anytime anyone does a Project with Europe they Get hosed. The Germans, French and italians always drag their feet on procurements.


Amazing what we accomplish in the US without anyones foriegn involvement. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

as the wheels of the JAST/JSF/F-35 grind on, I can hear the lilting tones of Freddie and the band, listen with me now, wont you..........dun, dun, dun, another one bites the dust!

When F-35 became a realistic project rather than just some "idea" the Europhoon suddenly became a second day of the war aircraft.

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

The best indigenous fighter aircraft to come out of Europe are the SAAB Grippen/Viggen series....By far. The Harrier and Tornado are good jets, but the SAAB Built aircraft are by far the standard to meet in the European Aircraft industry. BTW, in case anybody hammers my ass on this, Scandinavia is Europe, Snipe was so kind to point that out to me some time ago...<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>





Edited by - chadrewsky on Mar 02 2004 5:26 PM

Chad I gotta way agree with you on that. I have said before that Hungary did it right when they opted for the Grippen over the Lawn Dart when they needed a fighter that met NATO's ops standards. I am just a crew chief, and not anything more than a private pilot but that Grippen really gives me a warm fuzzy. Jst like the Draken and the Viggen.

By this time tomorrow I shall have gained either a pearage or Westminster Abbey........Nelson

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YGBSM !

"BTW, in case anybody hammers my ass on this, Scandinavia is Europe, Snipe was so kind to point that out to me some time ago..."

LOL!

Ah, but a spirited debate it 'twas lad.

<img src="http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/sigs/snipersig.jpg " border=0>

The Swedes were the first with an Encrypted Link SA and target shareing system. Wayback in the early 80's....

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Ah, but a spirited debate it 'twas lad. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

It was fun though right...

Whats the difference between the FDL setup that the F-14A came out with in the 70's and the system you are mentioning with the Swedes Mudd, out of coriousity.

The irony is that the Swedes have a pretty competent killing machine for a country full of passifists and ultra-socialists.

I don't care if they are ultra socialists, pacifistic anarchist's, or ultra conservative neo liberal nazi's.....Their women rock!

DAMN RIGHT!

This again...I'm still out of mean spirited things to say about the Eurofighter since the last time. <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

"So in essence the non-muslim Putinite knows true Islam?"
<img src="http://www.giantrobot.com/transmissions/47sato/images/pb10.jpg" border=0>

_________________

how come
A): everytime Frag shows up it become a "Troll Waltz" around here?

and..

<b>B): why is he still here?</b>

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

because I can't ban him...or he'd be gone...

Edited by - prkiii on Mar 16 2004 11:33 AM

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The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

Boomer I have been deleting his posts throughout the day. When I get a chance will email Weasel or Snipe and see what we can do.

By this time tomorrow I shall have gained either a pearage or Westminster Abbey........Nelson

_________________
YGBSM !

Thank you sir, I'm having comm trouble myself.

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

one question regarding Euro****up wont fly soon...

why do we need it, whats wrong with buying existing boeing and lockheed hardware, or for that matter, russian hardware? the SU27 family and F16 will take it to the cleaners, even a Ilushin IL-2 Sturmovik is better in the firepower stakes!

with no guns and no AAM's, whats hoon got planned, kamikazi flights, at xx million euro's per airframe, thats an expensive kamikaze flight!



<img src="http://www.boomspeed.com/megazone23/su27.jpg" border=0>

ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US

Edited by - Hawg166 on Mar 16 2004 12:31 PM

Its more for national or european prestigue than practicality...same reason that France operates carriers, despite the fact that her foreign policy was been one of appeasement since the end of the French Indo China War...

Bad topic really bad topic.

The EF-2000 with Germany, Italy and Spain carries an internal 27mm Mauser cannon. The UK had it taken out to save money. But that’s the UK who put the Tornado ADV into service and I mean look at the F-4K/Ms they put into service. I would hardly use the UK as a model on making a top air force or a top anything.

Well anyways, the EF-2000 also currently can use the AIM-120B/C, Apside, Sky Flash for BVR combat and the IRIS-T, AIM-132 and AIM-9L/Ms for WVR combat. For strike it can use the Storm Shadow, Enhanced Paveway (GPS/Laser), Brimstone, Paveway LGBs, various types of anti shipping missiles.

That’s just a bad article.